Who Are Our ONSA Ambassadors

ONSA Ambassadors serve as student representatives of the Office of National Scholarship Advisement. They are engaged in various academic, personal, and research activities and have direct experience in applying for national awards.

Our diverse group of ambassadors are available to share their experiences and information about our office’s support services with classes, student organizations, and departments. Feel free to reach out to onsa@olemiss.edu if you should like to be connected with one of our ONSA Ambassadors!

Meet Our ONSA Ambassadors

Ally Watrous

My name is Ally Watrous, and I am a senior from Lexington, Kentucky. I am pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry with a Chemical Physics emphasis and a B.A. in Physics and German with minors in Math and French. I am an undergraduate research student in Dr. Fortenberry’s Computational Astrochemistry group in the Chemistry Department and I have been in the group for almost four years now.

My sophomore year I received the Barry Goldwater Scholarship- which is a national award recognizing undergraduate research. I also applied that year for the DAAD Rise in Germany and was waitlisted. Next, my junior year I was accepted into the ISTernship program at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria for an internship with a Theoretical Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Group. My senior year I applied for multiple awards. I received a first round interview for the Hertz Fellowship, an interview for the Gate-Cambridge Fellowship, Alternate for a Study Fulbright in Finland, and the campus nomination for the Churchill Fellowship. I am still waiting to hear back about the NSF-GRFP.

The best advice I would give to someone unsure if they are going to apply for a National Scholarship would be to just go for it and apply! You never know what might happen and the only way you can win one is if you apply.

Benson Le

I am a Computer Science major from Starkville, MS. I am involved with many organizations on campus, including the SMBHC Ambassadors, SAA, Big Event, RebelTHON, and School of Engineering Ambassadors. Last Summer, I was awarded the UK Summer Institute Fulbright Award where he attended the Glasgow School of Art and University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Also, I am the first UM student to attend the Fulbright Scotland Summer Institute on Technology, Innovation, and Creativity. Please, reach out to me if you have any questions about applying to the Fulbright UK Summer Institute!

Rabria Moore

My name is Rabria Moore, a Durant native, who graduated from the university with degrees in journalism and political science in May 2023. I currently serve as an English Teaching Assistant with the Fulbright student program in Lusaka, Zambia. In addition to Fulbright, I received a Gilman scholarship to study abroad in Ghana and was a semi-finalist for the Marshall Scholarship. Upon completing my Fulbright fellowship, I will pursue a Master’s in Education degree in education policy and analysis at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, and watching all things crime and drama related.

Christian Boudreaux

I have always been fascinated by the ocean. I am currently majoring in Biology and minoring in Environmental Studies, Spanish, and Chemistry and my goal is to work as a marine biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I am a passionate environmental advocate and works to promote environmental service in his community. As a freshman, I started an aquatic conservation organization at his institution and became the leader of a tree-planting organization. From leading efforts to clean Mississippi’s waterways and remove invasive species with Aqua Culture, to maintaining a large tree farm and organizing plantings at various locations in his community, I have connected hundreds of volunteers with meaningful projects to make a positive environmental impact in his state and in his hometown of Oxford. I have worked with ONSA since I was a freshman and have applied for and won the Goldwater scholarship, the NOAA Hollings scholarship, and the Truman Scholarship. In my free time, I enjoys playing soccer, taking photos, kayaking, camping, SCUBA diving, and anything and everything that has to do with nature.

Savannah Whittemore

My name is Savannah Whittemore, and I was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi but raised all across Mississippi. I pursued a double major in International Studies and German, earning my bachelor’s degree in 2020, followed by a Juris Doctorate in 2023. I am proud to have been the first University of Mississippi student to participate in the German American Exchange during the Summer of 2022. Currently, I am honored to be a Fulbright Research scholar at the Institute for Diaspora and Genocide Studies in Bochum, Germany. When I’m not conducting research, I enjoy running, reading, and taking my dog on long walks around our neighborhood. I’m excited to help ONSA as they provided so much help during my own application process!

Want to Apply?

There are many things you can do to become competitive for such awards. It all starts with becoming engaged with your classes, your professors, and your community–starting your freshman year!

The key to a strong application is…START EARLY! Follow these steps to schedule your appointment!

STEP 1: Look through the Handbook or Website to identify potential awards.

Each award description in the handbook or website includes eligibility, a description, application procedures, and links to videos/webinars.
Some awards identify “institutional endorsement required” or “institutional endorsement recommended”. In order to be endorsed by ONSA and the university of Mississippi you must have a complete application by the campus deadline.

STEP 2: Complete the Fellowship Interest Form (required)

STEP 3: Make an appointment with a Fellowship Advisor (strongly recommended)

STEP 4: If you apply for a national fellowship, you will need to complete the Nomination Permission Form and Waiver (required)